Learn how to effectively leverage brand ambassador partnerships for your business, as well as tips for how to be the micro-influencer business owners want to work with.

Join Raleigh Founded members Emily Winters of The Social Rising and Roxy Garrity of The Raleigh-Durham Girl for this interactive panel and Q&A discussion. Plus, enjoy complimentary wine and appetizers.

Following the panel, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other small business owners and meet local brand ambassadors/ microinfluencers.

What you’ll takeaway:

• The benefits of working with brand ambassadors for your small business
• How to find the right brand ambassadors
• What to do as a brand ambassador when attending a brand-sponsored event (who to talk to and what to capture)
• What influencer driven event marketing is and why it’s important

Who you’ll hear from: 

• Aleena Azhar of Pineapple Sol 

Aleena Azhar is a driven entrepreneur who not only runs her own marketing agency, Being Basic, but is also the co-founder of Pineapple Sol, an experience in flavor and beauty of food. Her affinity for all things creative began in college when she started working for tech companies and has taken her all the way to her current position as a marketing guru for Facebook.

• Melinda Jackson of Melinda Jackson PR

An Erwin, NC native and Campbell University alumni, Melinda Jackson is the owner of Melinda Jackson Public Relations. Before relocating to Raleigh, Melinda spent nearly a decade in Los Angeles where she was an entertainment publicist. Bringing her GRAMMY and PRSA award-winning experience back to North Carolina, she currently provides public relations services for musicians, start-ups, and entrepreneurs around the world. In her free time, Melinda enjoys traveling, hiking in national parks, and spending time with her nephews.

• Cassidy Mills: @bloomingbookshelf_

Cassidy is a book influencer who uses her following to promote small bookshops. She grew up with a love for reading and moved to the Triangle for undergrad at UNC-Chapel Hill going on to recieve her master’s from UNC-Wilmington. During those 6 years, she spent less time reading for fun. It wasn’t until she was done with school and found herself on a wellness journey that reading came back into her life. Her bookstagram account came to be in March of 2022, in a Costco parking lot, after overcoming some annoying imposter syndrome. Since then, she’s made an amazing community of book friends, met a handful of legendary authors, and got to be featured as a “Bookstagrammer You Should Be Following” with Buzzfeed Books. Cassidy says, “This whole influencer adventure has pushed me beyond my own limiting expectations of what I ever imagined.”

• Kiara Ruth of The Banana Moon

Kiara Ruth is a master at multi-tasking and simplifying. She gracefully juggles her life as a mother and wife with her presence as a writer and NC tastemaker. Kiara drifts from mom to mogul effortlessly because she remains authentic and true to her brand in every step. This authenticity means telling her story truthfully, acknowledging faults, and being transparent while growing and learning. Kiara is a mom to Miles who is 8 years and the wife to Terrance Ruth who is a professor at NC State University. Kiara and her family have a cute rescue-dog named Oakley.

RSVP here